10 APRIL 2018 Tuesday, 10 April 2018
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NINTH ASSEMBLY 10 APRIL 2018 www.hansard.act.gov.au Tuesday, 10 April 2018 Petitions: Community facilities in Page—petition 10-18 ............................................. 1121 Ministerial response: Greenway playground shade—petition 4-18 ............. 1121 Community facilities in Page—petition 10-18 ............................................. 1122 Justice and Community Safety—Standing Committee ............................................ 1125 Public Accounts—Standing Committee .................................................................. 1126 Ministerial delegation to Wellington (Ministerial statement) .................................. 1127 Detention exit community outreach (DECO) program (Ministerial statement) ...... 1129 Gambling harm minimisation (Ministerial statement) ............................................. 1133 Disability recommendations (Ministerial statement) ............................................... 1138 Waste Management and Resource Recovery Amendment Bill 2018 ...................... 1143 Domestic Animals Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 ............................................ 1145 Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 ......................... 1155 Leave of absence ...................................................................................................... 1162 Questions without notice: Land—Dickson purchase ............................................................................. 1162 Health Directorate—proposed organisational changes ................................ 1163 ACTION bus service—timetable ................................................................. 1165 Visitors ..................................................................................................................... 1166 Questions without notice: ACT Emergency Services Agency—workplace culture .............................. 1166 Schools—infrastructure projects .................................................................. 1167 Crime—statistics .......................................................................................... 1169 Citizens juries—process ............................................................................... 1170 Children and young people—adoptions ....................................................... 1171 Health Directorate—proposed organisational changes ................................ 1173 Justice—magistrates ..................................................................................... 1174 Justice and Community Safety Directorate—workplace culture ................. 1175 Education—NAPLAN survey ...................................................................... 1176 National Youth Week—youth achievements ............................................... 1177 Light rail—safety .......................................................................................... 1179 Gaming—consumer privacy ......................................................................... 1180 City Renewal Authority—grants .................................................................. 1180 Question taken on notice: Statement by member ................................................................................... 1181 2016 ACT Election and Electoral Act—Select Committee ..................................... 1182 Papers ....................................................................................................................... 1185 Heritage protection (Matter of public importance) .................................................. 1186 Adjournment: Matthew Harding—tribute ........................................................................... 1198 Back to your roots writing competition ........................................................ 1200 Planning—Woden ........................................................................................ 1201 Heritage—Manuka pool honour roll ............................................................ 1202 Education—early childhood ......................................................................... 1203 Schools—visits ............................................................................................. 1205 Dementia Australia ACT .............................................................................. 1206 Question taken on notice—statement by member ........................................ 1208 Legislative Assembly for the ACT Tuesday, 10 April 2018 MADAM SPEAKER (Ms J Burch) took the chair at 10 am, made a formal recognition that the Assembly was meeting on the lands of the traditional custodians, and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory. Petitions The following petition was lodged for presentation: Community facilities in Page—petition 10-18 By Mrs Kikkert, from 157 residents: To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory This petition of certain residents of the Australian Capital Territory draws to the attention of the Assembly the need to increase active living options for senior citizens in Page, thereby improving their health and wellbeing and encouraging cross-generational interactions. About 27% of Page residents are aged 65 or over, and many of these live in three retirement villages in Burkitt St. Your petitioners therefore request the Assembly to urge the ACT Government to (a) mark a designated pedestrian crossing across Burkitt St, Page, near its intersection with Birrell St; (b) develop a walking path along Birrell St between Burkitt St and the park bounded by Knaggs Cr and Birrell St; (c) install in this park: benches and outdoor fitness equipment for older users, including shade structures for some of the benches; a swing set for preschool age children; and a water bubbler. The Clerk having announced that the terms of the petition would be recorded in Hansard and a copy referred to the appropriate minister for response pursuant to standing order 100, the petition was received. Ministerial response The following response to a petition has been lodged: Greenway playground shade—petition 4-18 By Ms Fitzharris, Minister for Transport and City Services, dated 27 March 2018, in response to a petition lodged by Ms Lawder on 20 February 2018 concerning the provision of a sunshade at the playground on Mortimer Lewis Drive, Greenway. The response read as follows: Dear Mr Duncan Thank you for your letter of 20 February 2018 regarding petition No 4-18, lodged by Ms Nicole Lawder MLA on behalf of Tuggeranong residents 1121 10 April 2018 Legislative Assembly for the ACT regarding a request for a shade sail at the playground at Lake Tuggeranong near the Learn to Ride Park, Mortimer Lewis Drive, Greenway. Although there is no current plan to install a shade structure at this playground, there are a number of trees adjacent to the playground area, that provide shade over the playground. Two shaded picnic facilities are also available adjacent to the Learn to Ride facility and car park and an additional seat will be installed under the shade of the trees at the Learn to Ride facility by the end of April 2018. In deciding which locations are the highest priority for shade structures, consideration is given to visitation rates and the length of visit to ensure the investment will benefit the greatest number of people in the local community. As a result, shade structures are usually installed over district park play spaces and some large centrally-located play spaces. While it is not possible to provide shade structures at all 504 public playgrounds in the ACT, in hot weather families may choose to utilise one of the playgrounds where shade sails are installed. In the Lake Tuggeranong area, the playground at De Little Circuit off Mortimer Lewis Drive, Greenway has a shade structure and there is a large shaded playground located off Bartley Place on the opposite side of Lake Tuggeranong, adjacent to the skate park. Thank you for raising this matter. I trust the information provided is of assistance. Community facilities in Page—petition 10-18 MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (10.02), by leave: I have presented a petition, signed by more than 150 Canberra residents in the Page area, calling on the Assembly to urge the ACT government to implement the following improvements: firstly, marking a designated pedestrian crossing across Burkitt Street, Page, near its intersection with Birrell Street; secondly, developing a walking path along Birrell Street between Burkitt Street and the park bounded by Knaggs Crescent and Birrell Street; and, thirdly, installing in this park benches and outdoor fitness equipment for older users, including shade structures for some of the benches, a swing set for preschool-age children, and a water bubbler. According to the latest census, nearly 27 per cent of residents in the suburb of Page, which is located in my electorate of Ginninderra, are 65 years of age or older. This is more than double the average for the territory. Importantly, 8.5 per cent of residents are 85 years or older. Significantly, this is more than five times the territory’s average. Many of these older residents live in three retirement villages, all located next to each other in Burkitt Street—Ridgecrest Retirement Village, Villagio Sant’ Antonio and Bill McKenzie Gardens. It is essential that public infrastructure in Page meets the needs of these seniors, who make up more than one-quarter of the suburb’s population. I remind